Blind as a Wolf?
by TeGustaONo
Summary: Innocent people are disappearing, so the boys go out to see if it's because of the recent wolf sightings. When they find a blind seventeen year old girl, she brings a little more to the table than they expected. Raphael/OC
1. Section I Chapter I

**I've had this idea for a while now, but I didn't know how to start it. I hope this works... Here goes nothing! **

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**Section I **  
**Chapter I **

"Donny, wait up!" Michelangelo called. Donatello paused when he reached the rooftop that belonged to the apartment building where April O'Neil lived. The younger turtle caught up to his brother a few seconds later, and they scaled down the side of the wall stealthily, jumping in through the open window. Casey Jones was standing in the middle of the room, remote in hand. April was sitting on the couch with her palm on her forehead, shaking her head. She spotted the two turtles and stood up to greet them.

"Hey guys, I was wondering when you'd show up," the red head greeted, walking over to them. Casey fiddled with something on the remote before throwing it on the couch in frustration. "Where are Leo and Raph?" April looked over their shoulders, but she didn't see the oldest two of the four. Mikey sat down on the couch as Donatello explained.

"They decided to stay back and train," he told her, following his younger brother's example and sitting down on the couch. Before April could join them, a howl could be heard. It was faint at first, but it grew steadily louder. The red head seemed a little startled by it, but she shook it off and sat down with Donatello and Mikey. "What was that?" April just shrugged, but they all knew she knew what it was. Of course, Donny knew it was a wolf, but April obviously knew something more.

"OK," she started, giving in to their curious looks. "For the past week there's been these wolves roaming around, a little too close to the city. In the park, behind buildings, in dark alleyways, and they only seem to come out at night. Casey was outside last night and he saw one of them – they're huge, apparently, much taller and thicker than regular wolves. They're getting too close and it's making me a little nervous." It all came out in a rush, because April sounded a little worried.

"They're just wolves," Donatello replied, "and they can't be that big. Are you sure that's what Casey saw?"

"Yes, I'm positive!" Casey interjected in a short-tempered manner. Another howl was heard, and April shook her head, causing her ponytail to swish back and forth. Casey shut the window and walked back over to the three who were positioned on the couch. "The one I saw was big and black, with ice blue eyes, I won't forget that. It had to be at least seven feet tall!" Donatello shook his head – he was the brain of the group and he knew for a fact that wolves were not seven feet tall.

"It's impossible for wolves to be that tall," he replied.

"Donny, you've got it all wrong. There's no science involved – these things are beasts and they're not regular wolves. They're inching closer to the city by the day and wolves that big need a lot of food. Next thing you know, they'll be killing regular people!" Casey replied, throwing his hands up in the air animatedly. April nodded and clicked on the T.V., changing it to the local news channel. There was a video of a big, black silhouette and it was walking on all fours. The camera was shaky and the shadowy figure was stalking towards the camera.

"See, Donny…I don't think this is just a coincidence," April pointed out. "Something is seriously wrong." The reporter explained about how a few people had gone missing in the local parks earlier that day, and most people were blaming whatever the silhouette was. "Whatever creatures those are, they mean business." The air in the room was tense, between April, Casey, and Donatello. There was a tap on the window and the red head jumped, but she sighed in relief when she saw that it was only Leonardo and Raphael.

Casey unlatched the window and let the boys in, closing it after them and re-latching it. Raphael launched right into a story, saying, "Have you seen those wolves? They're huge! Leo and I just ran into one and it had to be at least seven feet tall. I was about ready to do some damage control, but it ran off." Donatello face palmed and Casey jumped in front of the aforementioned face-palming turtle.

"Oh, burn Donatello! I so told you!" Casey declared.

"Casey, you and Raph think alike – of course he'd think it was a giant, mutant wolf!" Donny shot back. Raphael gained a confused look and he stepped in between the two. Donatello, however, turned to Leonardo. "Leo, you were with Raphael. What did you see?" Leo thought for a moment before giving his response.

"I saw what Raphael saw, a huge, seven foot tall wolf," he responded. Donatello looked at everyone else in the room, and he sat back down. "I think they're responsible for the disappearances. What else could it be? We haven't seen the Purple Dragon in a while, and we haven't seen Shredder, either. I don't think they'd necessarily go after regular joggers and walkers, Donny." The brainy turtle found this hard to disagree with, but he was still weary of the whole seven-foot-tall-wolf theory that everyone had all of a sudden.

"Why don't you guys go and patrol the park?" April suggested. "You can see what you find and come back here afterward."

"I think that's a good idea," Leo agreed. The other three turtles nodded their agreement. "C'mon guys." Another howl was heard, this time slightly muffled by the window. They trekked out and scaled the side of the apartment building stealthily, as April called out to them to be careful. A few moments later, Casey was following after them. "Casey, I don't think you should follow," Leo warned as they reached the rooftop. Casey just shook his head and continued following after them.

The group of five headed out to the park and they could clearly hear the howls now. "We'll split up," Leo started. "I'll go with Donny and Mikey, Raph and Casey can go together." They nodded and split up, each group taking different pathways. At first, the howls grew louder and fiercer, which spooked Mikey a little bit, but then they cut off completely.

"That doesn't sound good," Raphael said pointedly, pulling out his sai. It was eerily quiet. A twig snapped and all three stood back to back, moving in a circle to see if there was anyone – or anything – around, but nothing was seen. Just as Raphael and Casey started going again, Mikey grabbed them and pointed out a dark figure. It was relatively large and it was slinking out of the bushes, its feet crunching over the orange, red, and brown leaves. "That's the same one Leo and I saw!"

The figure sprang forward and in the moonlight, it was seen to be a large wolf of some sort. It had ice blue eyes, like Casey had described earlier, and a few red specks dotted its fur. Raphael was ready for a fight, but the wolf wasn't looking at Raphael. It was looking straight at Casey.

Before anyone could do anything, the black wolf burst forward and pounced on Casey. A crunching sound was heard, obviously a few of Casey's bones being split and broken from the weight of the wolf. It snarled in his face, and since he was spread-eagled across the ground, there was nothing he could do. Raphael and Michelangelo started in, but two more violent wolves appeared next to them, snarling and growling. One was gray and seemed a little older, while the second was smaller and had chestnut colored fur.

The gray wolf sized Raphael up first and then went after Michelangelo, while the smaller, chestnut wolf was left with Raph.

Mikey dodged the wolf's snapping teeth and looked over at Casey and the black wolf. "Raph, Casey's about to become puppy chow!" he warned, hitting the gray wolf over the muzzle with his weapon.

"Do somethin' Mikey!" Raphael responded, taking the chestnut wolf down with a staggering kick. It was obviously inexperienced and didn't know how to fight. Raphael took one look at Mikey and the gray wolf, so he shook his head and ran over, delivering a dangerously lethal blow to the wolf's head. It staggered back and hit the ground, so the two turtles looked back over at Casey. He was indeed about to become puppy chow, as Mikey had previously stated. They both darted forward and double-teamed the wolf.

It turned its attention away from Casey, but when it saw its fallen comrades, it turned and retreated. The gray wolf staggered to its feet and dragged the chestnut wolf away by the scruff of its neck. "Casey, you OK?" Mikey asked, kneeling next to him. He was able to sit up, but it was obvious that his ribs were pretty banged up.

"Guys, those aren't normal wolves," Casey managed, but he went into a fit of coughing on account of the broken ribs. Raphael heard footsteps and brandished his sai again, standing in front of Casey. But it was only Donatello and Leonardo – except they had a teenage girl in their arms. She was unconscious, but other than that, she looked like she was alright. Leo handed her over to Donny and went to check on Casey, who was still in a lot of pain.

"We'd better get him back to April," Leo replied. "What happened?"

"The wolves happened, that's what," Mikey replied. "Casey and Raph were right, they're huge!" Casey managed a small "hah" in Donny's direction, but it was ignored for the most part.

**)))**

April helped Casey onto the couch, a worried look in her eyes and on her face. She helped him settle in until Donny pointed out the fact that he still had the teenager in his arms. April looked over and gave her the once over. She was at least seventeen and she was dressed in baggy cargo shorts that went slightly past her knees, along with a black hoodie. Her sneakers were worn and she had on a blindfold, which was the oddest part. "What happened to her?" April asked, walking over and taking her from Donny.

"We don't know," Leo spoke up. "We just found her."

"That's weird," Mikey said, in between mouthfuls of pizza. "Maybe she's hurt, guys."

"She is," April replied. There was white bandage that reached from the girl's mid-calf to her ankle. The bottom of the bandage was covered up by the girl's boot, and the bandage was on her right leg. The red head unraveled the bandage and discovered a nasty gash, so she re-bandaged it. "I wonder how that happened…" Casey was still unable to breathe easy, so April decided to call in a doctor. "You all should head back to the sewer. Come back in the morning." Each turtle nodded their agreement and disappeared out the window. Mikey took the pizza with him.

**)))**

Next morning, the turtles returned to April's apartment. The girl was wide awake, hiding on top of the fridge. April couldn't coax her down from the fridge, and the red head gave up when the turtles walked in. "She won't get down," she explained. "I woke up this morning and when I started cooking breakfast she woke right up. I don't know why she won't take the blindfold off." The girl, who had brown hair, relaxed a little bit. She sat back and sat in cross-legged.

"Do you know her name yet?" Mikey queried, looking up at her curiously.

"No. She just asked me where she was; when I told her, she stopped talking completely," April replied.

"Well, then we'll just call her kid," Raphael replied with a light shrug given.

"OK, my name isn't kid!" the brunette spoke up, frowning. "It's Tripper, to you."

"What kind of name is that?" Raphael shot back.

"It's a name, now back off!" Tripper responded, showing off a spitfire personality.

"We saved you last night," Raph said in reply, folding his arms across his chest. "You woulda been fed to the wolves if we hadn't been there!"

"Like I need your help," she replied shortly, in a smart-alec manner. She jumped off the fridge and paused, holding one hand out awkwardly in front of her. She caught hold of the chair and turned to the right, but she felt the fridge in front of her. "OK, where are you fool, so I can teach you a lesson?" she asked angrily, turning around in a circle once. She seemed rather out of place now, and the turtles were confused. "Like…are you on my right, or my left? Or in front of me? Just so I know!"

Raphael quietly leapt over to her, landing in front of her. She looked around, but she didn't seem to get the picture. "Right in front of you," he replied. She stood there awkwardly before karate chopping him in the gut, and then she stepped back a few inches. Donny stopped Raphael from doing anything irrational, and he stepped up a little closer to the girl. He waved his hand in front of her face, but she stood there blankly. She was about April's height, if not a bit taller. "Donny, what are you doing?" Raphael asked.

"She's blind," he finally declared, a little bluntly. A hurt expression crossed Tripper's face. "It's obvious that she can hear us but she can't see us. It's probably why she wears the blindfold."

"Actually, I wear the blindfold 'cause that one Mortal Kombat character does, but I'm not blind!" Tripper snapped.

"Where am I?" Donatello asked, quietly going over and standing near the couch. Tripper looked around, and finally she started walking forward, only to slam into Raphael. And she had been going in the wrong direction anyway, so it wouldn't have mattered. "I think you're blind." Tripper got to her feet and held out a hand awkwardly in front of her. She came in contact with Raphael's arms, which were folded across his chest. Donny froze in place as April face palmed. "Uh…"

"What the…" she started, putting her other hand on his arm. Raphael jumped back and joined Donny by the couch. "Holy crap! What are you?" Tripper walked forward, but she tripped over a step stool. April helped her to her feet. "This is why they call me Tripper. But, regardless, what did I miss?"

"You'll have to tell her," April pointedly stated, helping the blind girl to one of the kitchen chairs.

"How do we tell her that we're mutant ninja turtles?" Mikey bluntly asked. Donny face palmed, while Raphael just shook his head.

"Mutant…turtles…?" Tripper asked. "Yeah, right! Lemme feel."

"Feel?" Raphael asked in alarm.

"Yeah, yeah, if I touch something I can tell what it is. Like if I touch a trash can, I'll be able to figure out that it's a trash can," Tripper explained. Donny shoved Raphael forward and April gave him a pleading glance. The turtle reluctantly started forward, but before he got halfway to her, she said, "Wait, you guys have names right? Well…which one is comin' over here?"

"Raph," Mikey replied.

"He means Raphael," Donny added.

"Oh, cool. I always liked that name. Anyways, say somethin' lover boy. I need to hear your voice, too," Tripper added.

"What am I supposed to say?" Raphael asked.

"Aww, it's the jerkish one?" the brunette replied, folding her arms across her chest. "Terrific. Let's get this over with." Raphael walked over and stood there in annoyance. Tripper stood up and looked thoughtful for a moment. "OK, so you're right in front of me, I think. I can't really tell, so just give me a minute." She reached out with one hand and placed it on his shoulder. "Well, I've seen some pretty weird things, and touched some pretty weird things, but that feels like a turtle alright." She moved a few steps to the right and walked past him; before he could turn around, she kicked his shell.

"What was that for?" Raphael snapped, turning around.

"To see if you had a shell," Tripper replied, shrugging. "Kicking works better sometimes. So…what happened? How did I end up here?"

"Leonardo and I – Donatello – found you in the park last night," Donny explained.

"Wolves, huh?" Tripper asked, voice quiet as it took on a melancholy tone. "What else happened?"

"Casey got hurt," Raphael said shortly, walking back over to the couch. "But, it's not like you'd care."

"Yeah, OK lover boy," Tripper replied, folding her arms across her chest.

"Whoa…you can feel the tension!" Mikey said, pretending to catch handfuls of air in front of him.

"Wait!" Donny broke in. "What do you know about those wolves?" Tripper froze in her spot as everyone turned their eyes to her. She looked around and stepped back awkwardly. April gave her a glance before resting a hand on her shoulder. She stepped away from April and darted forward, coming in contact with the couch. She clambered over it (barely avoiding Casey) and headed for the window, rather unsteadily. The turtles darted after her, but she was out the window in an instant.

Raphael caught up to her first, blocking her path. She stopped short as she realized she was caught, when Donny came up behind her. "Lemme go…I don't know anything!" she said, but they didn't believe her. "I'm innocent! I don't have anything to do with the killings! I swear! Last night I was in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Raphael dragged her back up to the window and they set her down in a chair, closing the window and locking it. "You can't attack a blind person!"

"Just calm down," Leo started, but Raphael cut him off.

"Tell us or we'll take the blindfold!" Raph snapped. She shrank down in the chair, knowing full well that he would take it from her.

"OK, OK, I'll tell you," she replied.

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**Sorry for the long chapter. I wanted to start off with a bang, I suppose. Anyways, review! **


	2. Section I  Chapter II

**Thanks to Queen-Book-Luver999, Connie Nervegas, LiTtLeMiSsPeRfEcT4465, for reviewing and alerting! Oh and I meant to label the beginning of the first chapter as Section I, but I forgot. **

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****Section I  
Chapter II **

Tripper sighed before turning her attention back to the boys. She couldn't see them, but she could sense them, she could feel their presence, and she could feel the tension in the air. How was she to save herself and save the innocent people of the city? Regardless, she began, "Those wolves…they're not killing machines. They've become killing machines, but by heart they're not what they seem to be. You see, they're corrupt more than anything else. Needless to say, last night, they killed the people who disappeared. For food, maybe, but it was mostly because the wolves believe they're a superior race. So now they want to wipe out the humans that live in this city."

Donatello interjected, "Wolves are creatures with no conscience; they don't have the ability to think like a person. How could they plot against the city?"

"They're not wolves. They're a form of wolf, yes, but they're werewolves… During a full moon, a werewolf's power peaks and they are able to become the wolf. The younger the wolf, the harder it is to control the bloodlust. By day, they're regular people, living amongst us, but by night, they prowl the parks and woods, searching for food or searching for territory to call their own. As we expand, we take that away," Tripper explained, rubbing the back of her neck awkwardly.

Leonardo looked thoughtful for a moment, but Raphael asked the question that was on his mind. "How do you know all this?"

"I'm blind because of the wolves," the brunette replied, tapping her temple with her index finger. "There's a whole story that goes with it, but I'd rather not explain." Tripper stood up and made her way over to the table, where she took off the blindfold. "See?" She gestured to a scar that ran through both of her eyes and across the bridge of her nose, and then she put the blindfold back on, covering the scar up. "And now I have to go. Just keep the wolves away from the people. Keep them inside the perimeter of the park, and don't let anybody into the park itself."

"Why?" Mikey asked, a questionable look on his face.

"If you don't, this problem's going to get a lot bloodier," Tripper responded. With that dark warning out in the open, she carefully clambered out the window and disappeared along the fire escape. April shuddered and stood up, going over to check on Casey, who had managed to sleep through the whole thing. Raphael wanted more answers, but he couldn't go after her, could he? Of course he could! The second oldest stood up and followed after Tripper, much to Leonardo's warnings not to do so.

The brunette was already walking the perimeter of the park, keeping to the same path. Raphael needed to know how to get down there without being spotted by any people, but there wasn't really anything he could do. He'd have to wait until she came up to the rooftops, or maybe he'd have to wait until nighttime, so he could down to meet her – and get some more answers. He headed back to April's apartment – for now, anyway.

**)))**

When it was dark outside and a cool, autumn night had fallen upon the city, Raphael left April's apartment and headed for the park – which was exactly where he'd expected Tripper to be. She was walking the perimeter like before, but this time, howls erupted through the night sky. It wasn't hard to stop Tripper dead in her tracks, plus Raphael was being rather headstrong in thinking that she wouldn't know he was there. He hid in the shadows for a moment, but the brunette stopped dead in her tracks before he even did anything.

"Raphael, I know you're here."

Raph emerged from his shadowy spot and came to stand in front of her. She quirked an eyebrow and shoved her hands in her hoodie's pocket. "I thought you were blind," he pointed out, sounding a little annoyed. She picked up on the annoyed note and responded with just the same attitude.

"I am, but since I've met you before I can tell when you're around. Like for example: You're right in front of me, a few centimeters away, and you've got your arms folded across your chest because you're annoyed," Tripper replied; Raphael snorted even though she had everything right. "Now, are you here to ask me stupid questions, or are you here to find out how I know so much? Because obviously you of all…mutant…turtle things wouldn't believe that I know all this just because I was attacked by them."

"Well since you know what I want, why don't you just tell me?" Raphael responded.

"I don't think I will." Tripper smirked and began walking the perimeter again. He followed right after her, his intense and furious personality showing itself off again. Tripper could sense him behind her, but she was a little worried. There was a presence much stronger than his lurking nearby, and no matter how much she _hated _Raphael, she knew she needed to keep him out of trouble. Donatello – whom she had taken a liking to – deserved that much respect, because he and his brothers had ever so graciously taken her in instead of letting her die in the park.

The brunette slowed up and let Raphael catch up to her, but she ignored his questions and focused on listening for any signs of immediate danger. "I'd like some answers, instead of bein' ignored," Raphael impatiently said, but he gained nothing from this. Tripper paused again, taking his wrist in her hand. She led him back towards the bushes and waited.

"Wait," she whispered, crouching down. She yanked him down with her, and they watched as an enormous black wolf – the one from the night before – walked by. Its nose was in the air, and it let out an ear piercing howl. Tripper held her breath while Raphael drew out his sai. The wolf had apparently caught their scent and was now sniffing around. "She smells you," Tripper hissed, nudging Raph. He shook his head and waited for the right moment to strike; he was ready to fight.

The black wolf retreated and Tripper took hold of Raph's wrist again, keeping him in his position. "I could've taken that thing out!" he snapped when it was out of earshot.

"You'd be eaten alive before you could take that one out," Tripper responded. She stood and crept through the bushes, waiting for the clouds to cover up the full moon. When that happened, she stepped out into the darkness, but she froze. Raphael appeared a few moments later and she continued walking. Making sure the hotheaded ninja was with her, she sighed in relief. She couldn't help but watch over him – she'd never had anyone to watch over, nor had anyone ever watched over her in this sense. So, she came up with a little idea. "If you want answers, I will gladly give them to you, if you do me a favor."

"What's the favor?" Rapheal asked, giving her a sideways glance.

"I have to come out and patrol every night," she started. "So if you'll help me, I'll tell you anything and everything you wanna know about these wolves." It was a very tempting offer, but he dreaded the thought of having to spend half of the night running around the city with Tripper. She was hoping for a "yes" only because she didn't want to be alone, and a hotheaded, hot blooded companion was her first choice, rather than a brain like Donny. Not that she didn't like Donny or anything.

"Fine," Raphael agreed, "but nothing funny. And I'm only doing this to get answers."

"And I'm only doing this because I'm blind," Tripper responded, which was true, also. Her senses were still a little weak and with Raphael around, she'd be able to survive easier.

**)))**

The next morning, April awoke to distressed howls. The sun was just rising in the distance, and Casey was stirring on the couch. The boys had spent the night at her place, but Donatello was already awake. "Where's Raph?" he asked, coming to stand next to a sleep-looking April. She looked around, but only saw Mikey and Leo crashed on the recliners. "He went out last night and he hasn't been back since." The red head was wide awake now, and she went over to the T.V.

Grabbing the remote and flicking it on, she sat down on the floor with Donny. There had been numerous sightings of wolves throughout the night, but they hadn't attacked anyone. Of course, that didn't mean Raphael hadn't been attacked, but they would just have to wait and see. "I can't believe it, Don. We should've kept him with us," April sighed in frustration. She felt a little guilty, but Donny put his hand on her shoulder in a reassuring manner. Casey caught the end of her sentence, but before he could ask, the window opened.

Raphael climbed in, and then collapsed on the floor next to them in exhaustion. "Raph, are you alright?" Donny asked.

"Go ask the demon that lives in the park and wears a blindfold," the red banded ninja replied in annoyance.

"Wait, you mean Tripper?" April queried, going over and looking ou the window. She saw a shadowy figure running down the sidewalk, occasionally stopping to listen for cars or other passing bystanders. "What do you mean, demon? She's just a girl."

"That knows things," Raph replied, sitting up. "But she's not about to tell us anything." Donatello went over and stood next to the window, watching the shady figure run down the sidewalk. "I have to go back out there tonight, so this time why don't you come with me? I'll show you what I mean by demon." It was an offer that he couldn't refuse.

**)))**

Leonardo watched as his two younger brothers walked to the window. April wasn't happy about this; she didn't want them getting hurt. "Are you sure about this?" Leo asked as Mikey came to stand next to him. Raphael and Donatello nodded, so they pushed open the window and disappeared outside. "I hope they're alright out there." April nodded her agreement and sat down with Mikey and Master Splinter, who had been sitting at the table watching the scene unfold. Leo joined his sensei and his brother at the table.

"Your brothers will be fine Leonardo," Splinter reassured him. "I think Tripper is not what we need to worry about."

The two turtles crossed the rooftops and passed through a few alleyways to reach the park. Instead of being met by Tripper, they were met by a large white wolf, with dark blue eyes. Donatello was intrigued because it was just lying there, head resting on its paws. It looked up and snorted, refusing to attack or make a move. "That's what I mean by demon," Raphael pointedly stated.

"Wait, that's not…is it?" Donatello asked. "That's not possible." The wolf snorted again and stood to its full height of 7'3. It was lean and its fur was soft, but it had a fierce look to it. Raphael walked up to stand with Donny, who was looking on in disbelief. The wolf turned around and ran down the path which was covered in leaves. The two turtles followed after it, trying to keep it in sight. "What Tripper said about "werewolves" isn't true, is it?" Donny asked, but Raphael just gave him a shrug.

The wolf paused and turned its head to the side, pricking on ear forward and laying the other ear back. The boys caught up to it, and it started going again, this time listening to the angered howls that pierced the air. The wolf sniffed the air and took off again, followed closely by the boys, who were determined not to lose sight of it. They finally came to a bench, which the wolf overturned with its paw. After digging up the dirt, it gestured to a pile of bones. "What do you bet those are the bones of the people that went missin'?" Raphael asked.

"Why would the wolf lead us here?" Donny added, looking up at it.

"Don't you get it Don? It isn't rocket science," Raph replied. "The scar, through the eyes." The purple banded ninja looked closely at the wolf, which lowered its head into the streaming moonlight. Now that he looked closely, he could see a scar running through the wolf's eyes, and a milky film was glazed over the eyes. The scar made the beautiful wolf hideous, so it cringed away from even Donatello. "Who else has a scar like that?"

And it all clicked into place.

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Review!


	3. Section I  Chapter III

**Thanks to the reviewers and the people who alerted! And I can't forget to thank, the readers, either! Enjoy! **

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**Section I  
Chapter III **

When the howling ceased, Donny tried to coax the white wolf out of the park. It wouldn't follow him, and Raphael was getting impatient. "Donny, let's just leave it here," he suggested, looking at his brother inquiringly. "It won't follow, so what's the point?" The purple banded turtle shook his head and continued to try and lure it out. It shook its furry head, staying in the shadows. Finally, Donny gave up and started away, sighing. Raphael gave the wolf one glance, and before he knew it, the soft, furry creature was next to him.

It looked down at him with ears pricked forward, but Raph knew it couldn't actually _see _him. And he also assumed it'd need a guide to get through the city and along the rooftops without hurting itself. "Really?" Raphael asked in annoyance. It seemingly nodded once, so he put a hand on its neck and started forward. "Hey, Donny, it's comin'." The one with the bo staff walked back to them.

"Guess it likes you more than it likes me."

**)))**

They arrived back on the rooftop of April's apartment a little while later, and with some careful strategic maneuvering, they managed to get the wolf unseen into the apartment. April gasped when she saw it, while Leo stood up to greet them. "It's OK, it's OK," Donny reassured them, closing and latching the window. The wolf lay down on the floor and sighed, resting its head on its paws. Casey sat up with the help of the red head, and he winced when he saw the scar on the wolf's face.

Donny knelt down and carefully reached out to examine the scar, but it snapped at him. "Raph, help me here," he asked his brother. Raphael groaned in annoyance but knelt down next to his brother, cupping his hand under the wolf's muzzle. For Raphael, it didn't move, but when Donny tried to touch it, it snapped or barked. "Calm down, I just want to help you," Donny reassured the wolf. "You helped us, now we can help you." The wolf sat still after that, and he was able to get a closer look.

The scar cut right through the middle of the wolf's eyes, running across the upper part of its muzzle. It was such a severe injury that it had left a scar right across the actual eyeball, causing a pinkish hue to accompany the blue. The white was a light pink color and the pupil was a yellow-black color. Even though the colors clashed horribly and made the wolf hard to look at, you could still see the dark blue color of the wolf's eyes. The gaze of the wolf was empty and plain. The scar itself went from the right temple to the left temple, so it was about a foot in length, if not slightly longer.

"That's messed up!" Casey exclaimed, causing the wolf's ears to prick forward and its head to tilt forward, as if ashamed. April nudged him lightly as not to hurt him, and in reply he said, "What? I'm just sayin' that it looks messed up." The wolf buried its face in its paws, so Donny and Raphael let it go. "That scar looks kinda familiar. It's like the April told me about, y'know the one that Tripper kid had. Except it didn't look as bad as that one does…" Donny turned and looked at them.

"Wait, are you saying that the wolf is…?" Leo started, but Raphael nodded. "Well, I guess if you can prove mutant turtles are real, you can prove werewolves are real."

April got to her feet and spoke up, "How do you know we can trust Tripper? Even if she helped you, that doesn't mean she's not behind the deaths of those innocent people." Tripper, as the white wolf turned out to be, raised her head and looked in April's direction. The red head shifted her eyes to the empty, wolfish eyes before her. And April didn't trust her, not at all, so she sighed and walked back to the table. Tripper got to her feet and looked around, pricking her ears forward and back, trying to get a feel for where everything was.

"We need more answers," Leonardo put in. "We have to know why the wolves are coming towards the city all of a sudden."

Tripper stood to her full height before taking a few tentative steps forward, but she was timid, that was for sure. Snapping at both Raphael and Donatello, they moved away for a moment. She lowered herself closer to the ground and the fur retracted; everyone in the room could hear splitting and cracking, teeth grinding, and flesh literally almost crawling, tightening over bone and muscle; they could hear muscle shrinking and expanding, and it almost sounded like it was ripping, even though it wasn't. The fur continued retracting, skin continued tightening, bones continued shifting; front paws became hands, while back paws became booted feet. White fur turned into the signature black hoodie and baggy cargo shorts, while white furry ears disappeared and were replaced by brunette hair and the blindfold appeared over the eyes.

In the place of the large white wolf was a seventeen year old human girl in her black hoodie that was a few sizes too big, her baggy cargo shorts and her tan boots. Tripper sat there in silence for a moment before trying to stand up, but she just fell back down. "It makes your legs feel like jell-o," she commented, patting the floor next to her. "Now, any questions?" She acted as if she had not just changed from a giant wolf into a human, but that was because she was used to it. Well, a wolf never gets used to it.

"First off," Leo started, shaking the transformation off, "why didn't you tell us this earlier?"

"I didn't feel the need to," Tripper responded. "Most people would discriminate."

"We're mutant turtles," Donny pointed out. "I think we're the most tolerant company you'll find."

"And what's with the scar?" Mikey piped up. Raphael smacked him upside his head. "What? I just wanna know…"

"It's fine," Tripper cut in. "I was in a fight with another wolf, when I was twelve. The wolf slashed me right across the face, and it made me blind. I thought if I phased back it would go away, but it didn't, and I've been blind ever since. It changed the way my eyes look, so that's why I wear the blindfold…I really want for when I'm a wolf, but that's pretty much virtually impossible." Mikey nodded as Donny went to join his brothers at the table. "Anything else, or can I go?"

"What happened to the people who disappeared?" Leo asked.

"The other wolves – most likely the large black one – killed them. They were killed first, and then…well…used to feed the younger, hungrier wolves…sadly…" Tripper responded grimly. "I saw them bury the bones, but I didn't see them kill the people. As I said earlier, they believe they're a superior race, and so they want to wipe the regular humans out of the city and take it as their own. There are some of us who disagree with this theory – are we not humans ourselves? But if a wolf disagrees with the whole of the group, it's basically asking for trouble. A lot of us have been killed because we don't want any part in it."

"What side are you on?" Raphael asked, voice finally lower and not as demanding.

"What side does it look like? I'm blind and I'm not killing April or…the weird…guy on the couch, am I?" Tripper snapped, anger flaring. Raphael glared at her but she did have somewhat of a point. The brunette got to her feet rather unsteadily, and winced in pain. Phasing hurt – bad. "And now I've dragged Donatello and Raphael into this. So now, I have to protect them. It's my job – but I can't even protect myself…" Donny stood there for a moment, before a light bulb went off in his head.

"I can train your senses, if you want," Donny offered. "That way you'd be able to protect yourself."

"Why would you help me?" Tripper asked wearily.

"You look like you need it."

"…Alright…"

**)))**

For the next few weeks, Donatello took Tripper down into the Lair and attempted to train her senses. She tried to use her sense of hearing – Donny told her it was the sense that had heightened the most – but she couldn't focus. She tried to sense when he was about to strike with the staff, but she couldn't focus. She could feel a second set of eyes watching her, and it unnerved her. Raphael found it hard not to watch her fail time and time again, only because he didn't think she'd be able to fight, given that she was blind.

In fact, he had a lot of doubts about her. Maybe she had been skilled at one time in her life, but now she was nowhere near as strong. Without her sense of sight, she was no fighter. So he watched only to see her fail – when she did, he'd shake his head and walk away, but he was always drawn back. How could she keep trying? Donny said it was because she wanted to have some sense of security, but in fact Tripper had a different reason that no one aside from herself knew.

She was trying to prove herself.

It wasn't a matter of security – she had made it five years in the darkness, and surely with the turtles she could just hide from it all, but she wanted to show them that she was worth saving. The day that Donny and Leo had picked her up was stuck in her mind, burned there. She needed to show them that she was worth saving, that she had been more than just a moronic werewolf girl. So every time she fell, she stood. Her senses failed her, however, and she couldn't learn anything.

Maybe it was true, when Raphael said, "Old dogs can't learn new tricks."

**)))**

A month later, and the killings started again. People began to disappear again, and the turtles were never in time to stop it. After a hard night out fighting off the Purple Dragons, and a few renegade wolves, they returned to the apartment to see Casey and April. Tripper was in the corner, like usual, because April didn't exactly trust her and she could tell. The boys shut the window as a few pained howls pierced the air – they had managed to wound one wolf that had attacked them from the cover of the shadows.

"Hard night?" April asked, sitting on the couch with the recovering Casey. He was feeling a lot better as of late.

"Yeah, Hun and the Purple Dragons showed up," Mikey replied, grabbing a slice of pizza.

"And those stupid wolves showed up along with them," Raphael muttered under his breath, looking directly at Tripper. The brunette could tell he was looking at her even though she couldn't see him, just by his annoyed tone of his voice. "They're probably looking for Tripper." She shook her head and got to her feet, wandering over to them. She and Raphael hated each other, regardless of what Donny or Leo said. "I don't see why you're still here because you haven't been learnin' anything."

"Well with someone always getting in my way, of course I'm not learning anything!" she shot back.

"Here we go again," Donny said, face palming.

"Maybe if you were a little stronger, I wouldn't have to get in your way!" Raph retorted smartly.

"I'm stronger than you'll ever be!"

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah!"

"Prove it!" Raphael snorted. Tripper stood there for a moment before backing up; she didn't want to fight him right then and there, so she didn't have a choice. Turning her back she started for the window, making sure not to trip over anything. "Donny and Leo shoulda left you there!" Tripper stopped and the whole room fell silent. What was she supposed to say to that? He was probably right, wasn't he? All this time she had been bringing her own troubles onto them…

"Right," she replied, and then she slipped out the window, disappearing down the fire escape.

"What was that for?" Leo snapped. "I may not like her, but she was the only inside source we had! Now we don't know any of the weaknesses of those wolves!"

"She wasn't doin' us any good. She was harmin' us more than anything else," Raphael responded, folding his arms across his chest.

"Donatello," Splinter started, "why don't you go after her." The purple banded ninja nodded and was out the window in an instant, leaving his brothers behind. It wasn't hard to find Tripper, because she was in the next alleyway over, sitting atop a trash can. It was dark and she could sense someone's presence, but she was too angry and upset to figure out who it was. Donny approached carefully so that she wouldn't get spooked and run off, but she just shifted nervously.

"It's Donatello," he pointed out. Tripper nodded and he was able to stand next to her.

"Why's it that I'm the blind one?" she finally asked. Before he could answer, she continued, "It's not fair in the least. I was twelve years old – twelve. I still don't know how to survive. Raphael is right, you should've left me there. It's not like there's anything I'm doing to help."

"Raphael is just mad-"

"Donny, you don't get it!" Tripper cut him off. "He's right, he's always been right! I can't learn anything – Leonardo and Michelangelo hate me and April and Casey don't even trust me. But with Raphael it's the worst. If he would just lay off, maybe it wouldn't be so hard. Ever since I met him, I've just wanted some respect! But he's right, I'm just not strong enough."

"Well you're blind, did you expect it to be easy?"

"Truthfully, yes! I thought it would be easy to learn how to listen for signs of danger – I thought it would be easy to sense things around me. But it's not. It's too hard. I'm giving up, just like Raphael said I would," Tripper responded.

"Why does it matter what he thinks? Even if nobody else likes you, I do. I think you're just lost, is all," Donny replied.

"Yeah, well where do I go, Donny? Tell me and I'll go, right now."

"Back to the apartment."

And earth-shattering silence followed.

"I can't go there."

"Why not?" Donatello asked, looking at her incredulously. "Just ignore everyone else."

"If I could, I'd do that. Believe me."

"I do. I always have."

"I just…need something."

"What would that be?" Donny queried.

"It's more than two months of help from you, Donny… But whatever. Now help me out here, would you?" Tripper responded, getting off of the trash can. "Because it's dark…"

"You're used to it by now, aren't you?"

"I won't ever be used to the darkness. I've always been terrified of the dark," Tripper explained. "It's always scared me."

"You just need someone to make sure you don't live up to your name," Donny replied, gaining a little laugh from the brunette next to him.

**)))**

Tripper tried to ignore the others like Donatello told her to, but it didn't work. After that, especially. She didn't really want sympathy; no, that had never been it. She preferred not to let people know she was blind. It was just that she wanted some respect, just a little bit. Just from Raphael, at least. She didn't need it from anybody else. In her mind, it didn't matter if she had respect from all corners of the world, so long as she didn't have it from Raph. She would rather have his respect. But it wasn't happening, so she left it be.

Even though it bugged her. Day in and day out. When she woke up in the morning – until she fell asleep at night.

But so long as Donny was there, she didn't go insane. She could keep it bottled up as long as he kept her in line.

But…there was one thing she was about to do that would break the bottle; undo the cork that kept the foamy liquid inside.

And the funny part was, she'd need Raphael's "help" to break the bottle in the first place.

**End Section I **

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Review, pretty please! Section II is coming up next!


	4. Section II  Chapter IV

**Thanks to the readers so far! Hopefully this chapter works - it's probably not the best, but that's for you to decide. I own nothing except for Tripper! **

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**Section II**  
**Chapter IV **

The next morning, April awoke to drifting howls. They seemed relatively close, closer than usual, so she decided to get out of the apartment for a little while. Dragging Casey with her, she left and made her way through the rain to one of the nearby cafés to wait. She directed her gaze out the window as she sat down in one of the window-side booths, and to her surprise, she saw a large white wolf hiding in the shadows. Its paws were muddy and scarred, while its fur was matted and caked with dirt.

"Casey, look," April said, tugging on his sleeve. He turned and looked out the window, but the white wolf was gone.

"What was it, April?" he asked. "A wolf or somethin'?"

**)))**

Speaking of the white wolf, she was hiding in the shadows, keeping to the dark spots. But that wasn't difficult, as she was always in the darkness. As soon as she could, she jumped out of the alley and ran, unseen, to the park. After fumbling over a few wet, fallen logs and stepping all over soaked leaves, she reached a grassier, deserted area. Most people had abandoned the park, but there was still one section where people could go and play, so long as no wolves were heard with a ten mile radius.

Tripper paused and pricked up her ears, listening for a slight sound. She heard howling, but it was different this time. As she honed in on the howling, Donatello dropped from one of the nearby trees. Her left ear twitched sideways and in an attempt to get a grip on the new smell and sound, she turned her head slightly. "It's just me," Donny replied, holding his hands up defensively. Snickering in an affectionate way, she pawed the ground, which meant that she wanted him to come over to her. "Why don't you come over here?" Donny paused and waited.

With a hesitant step, she started forward, but she stopped again. "Just try and use your sense of smell." Taking a quick whiff of the air, she moved towards him, but he stepped back. Everything else he had tried didn't work; her senses weren't any sharper than they had been two months earlier. So, taking a different approach – a slower one, at that – maybe he could get some work done. Tripper's ears were pricked as she tried to listen, but she just growled in frustration.

Donny walked over to her as the cold autumn wind blew across the path, sending up a swirl of leaves. "So, you wanted me to meet you here?" Tripper gave a slight nod and waited for Donny to start walking. The purple banded ninja was cautious as he reached up with a black strip of cloth – durable yet soft – and made a collar out of it. Surprisingly, Tripper only growled, but when he took hold of it and pulled her along next to him, she stopped fighting it. "Just so that I can keep track of you."

And he just received a skeptical snort.

Feeling a little better about things, she moved a little faster, letting Donny do the steering so that she could lead him where she wanted to go. When they finally reached a place where the asphalt path ended, and the leaves piled up, she stopped. At first, Donny didn't understand, but a gray wolf emerged from the shadows. It was the same one that Raphael and Mikey had fought on the first night when they had picked up Tripper. It was limping and battle scars tore through its fur.

Tripper snorted, her breath easily seen in the cool air, before she crouched down, bringing Donny down with her. The opposing wolf sat back on its haunches and growled, so the white wolf accompanying the purple banded ninja growled in return. Donny realized they were having some sort of conversation, but he'd ask Tripper what it was about later. It got heated; her upper lip curled back into a snarl, while the gray wolf rumbled out an almost earth-shattering growl.

Before Donny could come up with a diplomatic solution to the issue at hand, the wolves sprang forward. Pulling out his staff, he stepped in front of them. However, Tripper shoved him out of the way and went for the wolf before her. They danced around each other for a moment before lunging, but both attacks missed. The other wolf retreated, backing into the forest, but not before Tripper made a break for it, relying only on wolfish senses this time. She managed to take a chunk of shoulder out, but other than that, the other wolf got away.

Donatello approached Tripper, but a snarl made him back away. He noticed a pinkish substance on the ground where the other wolf had been and after closer examination, it looked more like mutagen. Avoiding touching it, he led Tripper back to the path and left her there, going to get the other turtles.

Bringing Leo and Mikey up to the surface was no problem, but Raphael didn't want anything to do with Tripper of the wolves, so he was harder to persuade. Finally, with some persuasion, they got the whole group of four up top, and into the park – unseen. When Donny led them back to the end of the asphalt path, Tripper was sitting on the bench. She barked when she noticed that they had brought along Raphael.

"Don't start this again," Leo said firmly, directing it at Raphael and Tripper. They both snorted and said nothing more. "What's up, Don?"

"This," he replied, pointing to the pink substance. The turtles gathered around while Tripper sat blankly on the bench, not bothering to follow after them.

"How'd mutagen get out here?" Mikey queried, looking at his brothers.

"Well, I didn't see it when we first came out here," Donny started, "but after the other wolf left, it was right there."

"Other wolf?" Raphael said in a demanding tone.

"Wait, you don't think the wolves got hold of any mutagen, do you?" Leo asked, ignoring his younger brother's question.

"I don't see how," Donny responded thoughtfully. Raphael rolled his eyes and turned around, glaring at Tripper. She caught on and gave him an annoyed growl in reply to his glare. "It wouldn't make sense, unless they have someone helping them. Someone who would know just what mutagen could do." Tripper and Raphael were going at it again, but the three just ignored them for the time being. "Purple Dragons…? I doubt it, unless they've gotten their hands on any of it lately."

"We'll wait and see," said Leo. He turned to his brother and the "wolf-girl" as she had been dubbed. "Alright, enough you two." Leo stood in between them, giving them each stern glances. Tripper woofed and just sat there, as Raphael turned away and started off. Tripper clambered to her feet and ran after him blindly, slamming into a tree in the process. She stood up and made sure she was back on the path before running after Raphael again.

It was hard for her not to fight with him; even though she wanted respect she wasn't willing to be walked all over like a doormat. The white wolf barked. She hadn't expected him to turn around, nor could she tell that the turned around, so consequently, she slammed right into him. Scrambling to her feet and steadying herself, she snarled once more, however, it came out as a whimper crossed with a snarl. Raphael just turned back around and continued walking. It took her a minute to realize he was walking away again, so she jolted after him once more.

Again, she ran head-first into a tree.

This time, Raphael laughed at her – only to make her mad. Tripper snarled; it started as a low growl but it grew as she got angrier. Before they knew what had happened, the white wolf had blindly flung herself at Raph. He pulled out his sai, but she just knocked them away with her paw. Growling, she attacked relentlessly, but due to her blindness, Mikey and Leo were able to pry her off of the red banded turtle. Before they could even and try to calm her down or get her under control, she snapped at them and darted away.

Her paws had specks of mud and blood on them.

Raphael got to his feet and retrieved his sai. He was merely scratched up, a few cuts and scrapes here and there. But he was angry. What gave Tripper the nerve to attack him that way? "I'm goin' after her," he started, furious. "It's time for some damage control." With that, the hot blooded Raphael took off down the path, following after the wolf. Leo turned to his brothers.

"That just proves the theory that we can't trust Tripper," the blue banded ninja said, a heavy sigh accompanying these words. Mikey nodded his agreement, as Donny looked at them thoughtfully. Even if the white wolf was his friend, his brothers came first – and they were right. He nodded his head in agreement, as Leo said, "We have to calm Raph down, though, before he does something irrational." The three brothers took off down the path.

**)))**

Tripper burst into the city, running through the streets and down the sidewalk, not caring if she was spotted. She was running for all she was worth. She didn't care if she ran into things – it didn't matter. She had made a mistake in attacking Raphael that way, and she was running from the inevitable. She had nothing to lose – nothing to gain – and so she blocked out all rational ideas for the moment and let the wolfish senses (of hearing and smelling) take over. However, they were still weak and she didn't get very far…

…before Raphael caught up to her. She pricked her ears up and ducked into a dark alleyway as he dropped off the rooftop above them. Catching her off guard, he blocked her path. Tripper snarled and backed up, unsteady paws shaking even more now. Since she was unable to use her senses to her advantage, he had the upper hand. She was about ready to give up the fight, but with one last little attempt to defend herself, she swiped. It was a clean cut, right through his shoulder.

But even in spite of this, he still had the upper hand.

Tripper gave up completely then, crumpling down, waiting for the final blow. Raphael raised the sai…but Master Splinter's voice rang clear in his head. And then he realized what he was about to do. "What…?" Even though he was hot tempered, this was pushing it a little too far. He wasn't supposed to kill anyone innocent, even if she had attacked him first. Putting his sai away and stepping back, Raphael remembered that killing in general didn't really solve any problems; sometimes, it only made things worse.

He may not have liked her at the time, but killing her wouldn't do any good.

Just as he was about to climb back up the side of the building, something large and rather furry attacked him. It was the black wolf. Ice blue eyes glared down at him, as he realized he couldn't reach his sai and that he was pinned to the ground. It was as if the wolf was saying, "This is it. I've got you now."

Tripper stirred, growling in questionable manner. She could hear the other wolf growling and she sensed the struggle. _He didn't kill me? _She thought to herself. Raphael hadn't killed her? Maybe he was a decent turtle after all. The wolf clambered to her feet – with this knowledge, she felt compelled to save him from the black wolf. But she was no super hero; how was she to do so? However, that compelling feeling (however odd it might have been) never left her as she stood, listening to the hissing growls of the other wolf.

Blindly, she launched forward, coming in contact with the black wolf. They snarled and rolled across the wet asphalt, biting each other and trying to come out of the fight alive. The black wolf was astonished, and in fury, it gained the upper hand and attacked Tripper with all its strength. The white wolf was forced back again, and blood matted her fur and her opponent's fur.

Raphael was on his feet in an instant. _She saved me? _He thought to himself. Tripper hadn't left him to die? Maybe she was a decent "wolf-girl" after all. The red banded turtle contemplated what to do for a moment, before returning the favor – doing what Tripper had intended to do for him. He used his sai to injure the black wolf. It glared at him furiously, and attacked him once more. This time, however, Tripper got up and they double-teamed the opposing wolf.

It ran off, limping, eyes ablaze with fury.

Tripper collapsed next to Raphael, her injuries taking their tolls. Raphael knelt next to her as Donny and the others appeared. "What happened, dude?" Mikey asked. Raph explained the story as Donny knelt beside Tripper, who was dying because she had been so battered and bruised.

"Hold on," Donny said, examining the deepest wounds. "We need to get her back to April's place – the Lair would be better, but I don't think we could get down there unseen with a giant white wolf."

"Uh…hey, Don," Raphael started, as they searched for a way for her to get her down to the sewers. His purple banded brother gave him a questioning glance. Knowing Donatello was listening, Raphael continued by saying, "Tripper got me out of a tight squeeze… It's hard to admit, but she saved me. Why would she do that if she hates me?"

"We all do bold things every once in a while," Donny replied with a shrug.

"I guess…"


	5. Section II  Chapter V

**Thanks to the people who have alerted and read so far! This chapter was a little difficult to write, but I got it under control, I suppose. :P **

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Section II  
Chapter V

The next day, Tripper was able to walk about the Lair. Donatello had done a good job bandaging up her wounds, the white wolf had to admit. She wanted to change back, but since she had been injured, she couldn't change until the next full moon. It was a werewolf weakness rather than a strength, so most wolves tried to change back as soon as the injury was afflicted or as soon as the battle ended. Tripper had not been as lucky as most others, so for the next month she'd be stuck as a wolf.

Master Splinter stood up from the little couch near the T.V. and turned to watch his sons and the wolf. "Since Tripper is apparently stuck as a wolf – or refuses to change back – you now have the responsibility of dog duty. Michelangelo, you will make sure she is fed, Donatello, you will assure that her wounds heal up, and Leonardo will walk with her," he said, looking at each turtle in turn. Raphael wandered out just at that moment, but no one had a job for him – everything was seemingly covered.

Tripper growled curiously at the sound of food; she hadn't eaten in a few days and she was hungry. Mikey held out a piece of pizza, which she just turned her nose away. "Mikey, I don't think a wolf would really want pizza," Donny explained, taking the pizza from his younger brother. Leo looked thoughtful for a moment before coming to stand next to his three brothers. "What're you thinking, Leo?"

"Considering that she's a wolf, why doesn't she go out and hunt? Mikey and I would have to go with her, though," Leo pointed out.

"That sounds like a good solution, Leonardo," Splinter said. "However, we will let Raphael take care of the hunting, if that is what she must do to find food." The turtle in question groaned – he didn't want to go out and babysit Tripper. But, he wasn't going to disobey Master Splinter, so he took the black cloth from Donny and used it to lead her up to the surface. Even though she didn't quite get along with him, she stuck to his side in fear of the black wolf. She knew the black wolf's name, but she couldn't tell them since she herself was stuck as a wolf.

When they reached the surface, Tripper could definitely smell the other wolves, but she figured she'd be alright since they were hunting. However, the scent of one of the renegade deer was stronger than that of the wolves, especially in the cool, night air. It was dark except for a few lights from the buildings that overlooked the park, and it was drizzling slightly. The moon was hidden behind clouds and the leaves were sticky and wet on the asphalt path that ran through the park.

Tripper heard the rustling that came from the deer nearby, and she turned around and went straight after it. But she couldn't quite catch it – she either ran into a tree, or she was a few feet short when she tried to snap at it. Feeling tired and giving up at this point, she trotted back to Raphael. It wasn't all that hard to recognize his scent after two months. "You should use your nose a little more, you know," Raphael pointed out, folding his arms across his chest. "You're a wolf, remember? Last time I checked, they had powerful noses." She just snorted, so in reply to that he said, "Hey, I'm just tryin' to help. You can take it or leave it." Deciding that she could probably use some help (even though she'd never admit it out loud) she sniffed the air, trying to hone in on the deer.

She caught the scent, but she couldn't follow it. She'd get a few steps forward, and then she'd lose her sense of direction. Raphael shook his head and commented, "You're the most helpless wolf I've ever seen. You make wolves on the Nature Channel look like Albert Einstein. What you've gotta do is listen for the deer's footsteps. You've got ears, now use 'em." Tripper snorted but she did as she was told. Listening intently, letting her ears prick forward and back, she tried to focus on the sound of the deer.

Growling in pleasure when she heard the deer nearby, she turned her screwy eyes to Raphael expectantly, even though she couldn't see him. She knew he was there. "Now, use both of those senses to track the deer. When you get that far, use those fat paws to take it down," he instructed. Tripper nodded and did this, and a few minutes later she was running through the clearing trying to catch the same deer as before. The red banded turtle watched as she missed, but she tried a few more times before giving up and trotting back over. "As I said, you make the wolves on the Nature Channel look like Albert Einstein. Since you fail at hunting, what're you supposed to eat, then?"

Tripper thought for a moment before shaking her head. What was she supposed to eat? As a wolf, she couldn't really stomach pizza. But she was so hungry and the pains were shooting through her, radiating right down to the core of her paws. Shifting uncomfortably, she barked to try and explain that she didn't really have an answer to his question. Raphael just rolled his eyes and came up with a better solution. "Well, I can rule out chocolate, unless I wanted to kill you." Tripper snorted furiously, which just gained a chuckle from her turtley counterpart. "I've got a better idea."

When he managed to get her unseen onto the rooftops (which was an ordeal in itself, and took at least half an hour) he led her to April's apartment. It took him another fifteen minutes to sneak her inside without anyone seeing them. The red headed April looked up and jumped slightly, a little surprised to see them both there. "She's too stupid to catch a deer on her own, so she needs food," Raphael explained, gesturing to Tripper. The white wolf just snapped at him.

"Uh…alright," April said wearily. "What would she be able to eat?"

Casey interjected, "We shouldn't feed the wild animals, you know."

April walked over to the fridge and shuffled through it, moving cartons of Chinese food out of the way and moving other condiments around. She pulled out a chunk of ham and held it up. Tripper, as a human, would hate ham, but since she was a wolf and wolves wouldn't mind eating ham, she lunged forward. The smell of ham was rather intoxicating. April cringed but she nipped it ever so lightly, stealing the chunk and scarfing it down. The red head pulled out the rest of it and gave it to her. After cleaning out the turkey, chicken, leftover steak, and the bologna, she was running out of meats. And Tripper was still hungry.

"There's not much more I can give her," April commented. "Bring her by in the morning when I've had time to restock."

With that being said, Raphael took Tripper back down to the sewers. He noted that she was relatively easy to guide; she didn't fight him as much as he'd expected she would. Of course, she'd be as tame as a house-broken puppy with Donny, but of course Donny had been nicer to her in the first place. They arrived back at the Lair where Tripper curled up in the corner and closed her eyes, sleeping off the food. "She can't catch a deer to save her life," Raphael pointedly stated. Mikey polished off the rest of his pizza as Master Splinter settled in to watch the late night episodes of his soap operas.

Donny just nodded and continued whatever he was doing. It looked like he was researching something, or trying to find something of importance. "I'm trying to educate myself about werewolves, but apparently all the traditional werewolf legends and myths don't match up with Tripper. She's a real wolf, not a bipedal, hairy wolf-monster. What do you think?" Donny asked Raph, turning to look at his older brother. The red banded ninja shrugged. "That doesn't help."

"I can't wait until we can get rid of her," Raphael finally replied, turning around and jumping up to the higher level of the Lair. He disappeared into one of the rooms, presumably to get some rest. Donny turned back to his research, but none of it really matched up with the evidence he had before him, so he stopped for the time being and headed up to the higher level. Leonardo gave him a glance before doing the same; Mikey had already passed out at the table.

"This wolf problem is escalating, and I still don't think we can trust Tripper," Leo commented as they walked along.

"We need a wolf on our side, but we need to get the secrets out of her first," Donny pointedly stated. "I don't know why, but I think Raphael is our best bet at unraveling all of this."

"Sadly, I agree," his blue banded brother responded.

**)))**

As the days went on, Tripper grew more accustomed to living in the sewers and in the Lair. She got so used to it that she didn't run into anything as much, given that she knew were almost everything was located. She still had her run-ins with polls or step stools or even chairs, but it didn't really matter. Donatello got nowhere when he tried to train her senses, and Raphael wouldn't offer his help. He did watch, though. Tripper tried and failed, but Donny had a sneaking suspicion that only Raph could get her senses in check. And he was almost sure of this because the only one of them that could anger her easily was none other than his brother, Raphael.

The full month came, and Tripper was ready to change back. She enjoyed running across the turf of New York as a wolf, but she enjoyed being an almost regular human, as well. She disappeared out of the Lair and came back a few hours later as regular old human Tripper, blindfold, hoodie, cargos and boots clearly identifying that she was back to normal. "Finally," she said in exhaustion and relief, shaking her head. "I can talk again. Anyway, I meant to thank you Raphael. For helpin' me out in the park."

"You owe me one," was his response.

"I know," she sighed. "Now, I suppose you've got questions?"

"Yeah," Leo replied, gesturing for her to sit down, so she did. "We need some explanations."

"About the wolves, right?" Tripper began. "I guess you've helped me enough. OK, ask away."

"What exactly are the wolves planning?" Donny asked.

"They're trying to kill all of the humans in the city of New York," she said simply, adjusting her blindfold. "And before you ask why, I'll tell you what I told you the first time I tried to explain this: They think that they're a superior race. And as I said, I don't want any part of it. Plus, I wouldn't be much of a help. After I went blind they didn't really have a use for me."

"Alright," Leo responded, "so I'm assuming that the black wolf is the leader?"

"The alpha," Tripper corrected, "but basically yes, the leader. Her name is Raida. She's the one who orchestrated this business in the first place."

"Wait, wait, she's the alpha?" Raphael interjected, coming to stand next to Leo.

"Don't remind me," Tripper grumbled, folding her arms across her chest. "See, when the alpha dies, there's a competition held to decide who becomes the new alpha. Raida and I clawed our way, tooth and nail, to the top, and we were in the final three. It was us and another gray wolf – the one that I fought in the clearing, remember Donatello? Anyways, we were fighting it out, and Raida, with one swipe of her paw, stole my sight. She's the wolf that blinded me. And she's _younger _than me. I couldn't fight any more, so she ended up winning. I never lived it down."

"So, wait, you don't have a dynasty of alphas, or heritage or lineage?" Donny pointedly asked. Tripper laughed, only causing the purple banded turtle to look slightly confused.

"How could we? Werewolves are _sterile_."

"What?" Leo asked, disbelief written on his face. "That doesn't make sense. There are so many of you and you can't _reproduce_?"

"No, we cannot reproduce, Leonardo. However, we don't need to. 99% of all werewolves are born from non-werewolf, completely human parents," Tripper explained.

"What about the other 1%?" Mikey piped up from his seat on the couch.

"The other 1% comes from werewolf parents. The parents of that 1% were werewolves that were able to reproduce because of a genetic defect. You'd think this would make this 1% indestructible werewolves, but you'd be wrong. If you're in that 1%, you have all of the werewolf weaknesses, and none of the strengths. The only benefit is that you can reproduce. Does it make sense?" Tripper explained.

"I guess," Raphael replied, "but what category do you fall in?"

"The 99%," she responded with a shrug. "Most wolves that come from the 1% category are very weak and fragile. They don't fight – they're mostly workers and laborers. And often times they're blind or deaf. Mostly just blind, though."

"OK, so how do we stop Raida and the others?" Leo asked flatly.

"I don't know. I can't think of anything," she responded, sitting cross-legged in the chair.

"That helps," Raphael snorted.

"Well, I'm trying to keep myself out of trouble. Since I want nothing to do with their plans, I'm wanted – _dead_, that is. Why do you think Raida keeps attacking us? Oh, and Leo, good luck trying to get through to her. Raida ain't the most understanding wolf there is out there," Tripper warned. "Why do you think I hang around you four? The only one of you four I can stand – besides Master Splinter – is Donny. I need you guys to watch my back and tell me where the wolves are."

"That makes us feel real special dude," Mikey interjected.

"Regardless," Leo cut in, "we have to try something. More and more people are disappearing every week!"

"Good luck!" Tripper exclaimed mock-cheerfully, giving them all a thumbs-up.

"You've gotta help," Raphael said, scowling at her.

"No I don't. I have no intention of helping, nor do I have an obligation to help," the brunette replied distinctly. "I don't want any werewolf blood on my paws."

"Whaddaya mean?" Mikey queried.

"I don't want to kill my fellow werewolves! That would be like Donny killing Michelangelo!" she exclaimed, using animated hand gestures. "But Raida is corrupt and crazy – who knows how many wolves have been killed or have been exiled under her paw! I can't go back – I tested the waters when I tried to talk to that crazy old hag (the gray wolf) and I realized just how dangerous it would be for me to go back to them!"

"But we need your help!" Donny objected. "You're the only wolf resource we've got, and we have no idea where the wolves got the mutagen from."

"I can't help you," she replied vaguely, shaking her head. "And I don't want to." Before the conversation could continue, a breaking news story came on the T.V., so the turtles turned and looked at it.

"A developing story has just been brought to our attention," the reporter began, "and it seems that the wolf problem has escalated to new heights. This footage was shot by one of our camera crews just a few moments earlier." She gestured to the clip that was playing behind her, and it expanded to occupy the whole screen. A large wolf was prowling around the city, but it was much, much larger than usual and it looked as if it had no sense of control whatsoever.

"What the shell is that thing?" Raphael blurted out, leaning over the couch to get a better look at it.

"What do you bet that it's a mutated wolf?" Donny asked, looking at his brothers. "We'd better get up there."

**

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